1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-sensitive material processing apparatus for applying a finisher to an image-wisely exposed on a light-sensitive material while the light-sensitive material is being conveyed after the light-sensitive material has been subjected to development by being automatically conveyed in a developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light-sensitive material on which an image has been exposed, e.g., a presensitized planographic printing plate, is transported into a presensitized printing plate processor, which is a light-sensitive material processing apparatus. The printing plate is subjected to development in a developing tank provided in the presensitized printing plate processor, and is then washed in a rinsing tank or a washing tank before a finisher, i.e., finishing solution, is applied thereto.
Spray pipes with discharge ports oriented toward the obverse and reverse surfaces of the light-sensitive material as well as a conveying means for conveying the light-sensitive material are placed on the both sides of a conveying passage for the light-sensitive material in a finisher tank where the aforementioned finisher is applied to the light-sensitive material.
The finisher is applied onto the obverse and reverse surfaces of the light-sensitive material while the light-sensitive material is being conveyed, preferably in the declinate transporting direction, through the finisher tank. Thus, the finisher is applied to the obverse and reverse surfaces of the light sensitive material.
However, when applying the finisher to the light-sensitive material, since the light-sensitive material is conveyed and the finisher is applied to both surfaces of the light-sensitive material. However but on the reverse surface side the finisher drips off by its own weight. For this reason, the processing time with the finisher applied to the obverse surface of the light-sensitive material differs from the processing time with the finisher applied to the reverse surface of the light-sensitive material, so that it is impossible to provide both surfaces with finisher processing equally, and it is impossible to thoroughly apply the finisher onto the reverse surface of the light-sensitive material. Consequently, there has been uneven processing of the reverse surface of the light-sensitive material.
As a result of the unevenness of the processing, it has been impossible to obtain a high quality print.